Entrepreneur expanding broadcast business from Midlothian

By Alexandra AllredDaily Light correspondent

Saturday

Dec 26, 2015 at 5:17 PMDec 26, 2015 at 5:20 PM

MIDLOTHIAN — Craig Pelletier was educated in radio — literally. It was part of a work study program during his senior year in high school that he worked in a local AM radio station in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.

“I would help out recording high school Christmas concerts for playback on Christmas Day, and run Pawtucket Red Sox (Pawsox) games while also running music and other on-air shows,” Pelletier said.

From there, he was hooked.

“I just fell in love with broadcasting,” he said.

While he had grown up watching and listening to his father on his own CB radios, Pelletier moved from enthusiast to technician, to broadcaster, and learned every position in between.

“At one point,” he said, “I was the operations manager.”

Today, Pelletier is the co-founder of TuneBros Audio and he runs a division of the company known as TuneBros Audio South. While Pelletier now resides in Midlothian, his brother, Paul, manages TuneBros Audio North in Rhode Island. The North/South divisions were a creation of Pelletier’s passion for radio. When Pelletier’s wife, Amber, was offered a too-good-to-turn-down job in Dallas, Pelletier devised a plan with the radio station where he worked.

“I really wanted to find a way to continue being a part of the radio station I grew up with. So, with the help of the station owner Dave Richards, we found a way to be able to produce the sporting events for Bryant University and Providence College here in Texas and send them via the Internet back to the radio station in Rhode Island. I am also the station’s webmaster for their site www.onworldwide.com.”

By day, Pelletier works with the Midlothian Independent School District within the Transportation Department as a mechanic apprentice. Not one for idle hands, Pelletier and his wife also volunteer with PAWS for Irving Animals, LLC. through a foster program that helps to temporarily house and place dogs in need of new homes. But he is never far from the radio. Whether he is tinkering as an amateur radio operator (with the call sign N1XAC) or reporting as a trained Skywarn Storm Spotter, Pelletier is always on.

He has always been an entertainer. Growing up, he performed in the arts, both on stage and in band, but once he discovered radio, he got the opportunity to see firsthand just how much he could make people smile.

“I treat my clients like family and do my best to help make their event better than they could have expected,” he said.

He began with car shows and various events through the radio station, but when Pelletier created his own business, he branched into private DJ parties for weddings, holiday and birthday parties, eventually partnering with his brother. Together, they worked hard to build both a brand but also a reputation.

“We have always tried to maintain reasonable pricing when it comes to our shows because we feel that entertainment shouldn’t break the budget,” Pelletier said.

Already, his reputation is growing in Ellis County, but TuneBros Audio South is growing as well. “It is still a new company down here,” he said. “So, I am still working on building my brand. I do all type of shows. I have done weddings, parties, corporate events, vendor fairs and I offered my services to Earthwise Pet Supply in Richardson for their Grand Opening event in December 2015. Honestly, I like them all because each one is different in some way and you get to meet new people. “

Even as TuneBros Audio continues to grow in Texas, its roots are in Rhode Island and Pelletier doesn’t miss an opportunity to travel back and forth “a few times a year, not only to ‘play’ radio, but also to see my family who still live in Rhode Island. For the radio station specifically, I travel back to help with the big festivals we broadcast. The first one is at the end of July and beginning of August when I am there for the Our Lady Queen of Martyrs annual summer festival. The second is Autumnfest, our largest event, which is held every Columbus Day weekend. We broadcast from the opening ceremony on Saturday until the closing ceremonies on Monday. During this festival, I also produce the 10-division parade live on the air and on the Internet video stream.”

Yes, he said, he does love radio that much.

Pelletier has found a way to blend all the things that he loves so much. Sports, music, education and weather can all be provided as a form of entertainment or needed information. Radio, he said, has been a part of his life for more than 20 years in some way, shape or form and he doesn’t see that changing. But the forum is ever changing. As a DJ, the audience is live. His job is to be interactive and entertaining.

“You have that opportunity to interact with them on a personal level and really get to know them,” he said. “Whereas with being a radio broadcaster, your audience is all over the place whether it is over the air of via the Internet. Some people you may never meet, but they will still remember your name and your voice.”

For Pelletier, the very reason he fell in love with radio in the first place is the satisfaction that comes from connecting with other people. He truly enjoys helping others, and seeing them enjoy the experience of live radio or DJ entertainment.

“There is no greater feeling than having your client come up to you and thank you for everything you did to make their night amazing,” he said.

To contact Craig Pelletier, you can find him on Facebook as TuneBros Audio South, or check out the website, www.TuneBros.com. You can also email him at cjpsound@gmail.com.

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